Freshwater · Spring runs below dams best; April to June, with summer surface schools in big rivers
Skipjack Herring
Alosa chrysochloris
A silvery, green-gold river herring famous less as food than as premium cut bait for blue catfish — fresh skipjack strips are arguably the top bait on the big rivers, and that role is stated honestly here. On light tackle it is itself a fast, leaping sport fish when schools chase shad below dams in spring.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Green-gold to blue-green back over bright silver sides
- Lower jaw projects clearly beyond the upper jaw
- No dark shoulder blotch behind the gill cover like gizzard shad
- Sharp, saw-edged belly keel and a deeply forked tail
- Small dark spots sometimes form faint rows along the upper side
Habits
- Travels in large pelagic schools in big-river current
- Actively hunts shad and small fish, unlike plankton-sifting shad
- Runs to tailwaters and tributaries to spawn in spring
- Often leaps and skips at the surface when feeding — hence 'skipjack'
- Oily flesh makes it top cut bait for blue and flathead catfish
Distribution
Where to find them
- Tailwaters below Ohio and Tennessee River dams in spring
- Mississippi River current seams near wing dams
- Missouri River channel edges where shad schools gather
Where they live
How to catch them
Tailwater casting with spoons and sabiki rigs River
Rig: Light spinning rod with a small spoon, jig or multi-hook sabiki-style rig cast into tailwater current below dams and retrieved fast
Bait/lure: Small spoons, jigs, sabiki rigs
Key tip: Fish the boils and current seams at dawn; a fast, flashing retrieve triggers strikes from feeding schools.
Casting to surface schools in big rivers River
Rig: Long casts with small spoons or jigs to surface-feeding schools in big rivers; fish are also netted where legal as premium catfish bait
Bait/lure: Small spoons and jigs
Key tip: Watch for leaping fish over shad schools, cast past the school and reel through it — and check local rules before keeping any as bait.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Light 6-7 ft (1.8-2.1 m) spinning rod
- Line: 6-8 lb (2.7-3.6 kg) mono
- Terminal: Small spoons, 1/8 oz jigs, sabiki-style rigs
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
9' 5-weight fly rod outfit
≈ US$180-260
Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.
Flies · Budget
Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)
≈ US$25-40
Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.
Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.
Typical size
Common 12-16 in (30-41 cm); large fish to about 18 in (46 cm)
On the table
Poor — bony and oily; eaten rarely, and valued mainly as catfish bait.
Similar species
Gizzard ShadGizzard shad has a blunt snout, a dark shoulder blotch and a blunt, plankton-feeding mouth; skipjack has a projecting predatory jaw, a green-gold back and no blotch
Alabama ShadAlabama shad is a Gulf-coast anadromous fish with a dark spot followed by smaller spots; skipjack is the inland Mississippi-basin fish with a projecting jaw and no spot rowRegulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
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